seadoggirl
Guest
Diving this weekend in the Gulf of Mexico was wonderful. The vis was better than we have seen in several weeks. We had flat seas early in the day. We started out on the Sapphire Dream (chick boat) Sunday morning and ran first to the Pencil Rig about 7 miles out of Orange Beach, Alabama. No fish but it was the first time I've dove it and the tree stumps underwater are really cool. The big debate is if they are there from pre-historic days or if someone put them there. They made a circle and are about 50 feet away from the rig but they are huge. It's in about 80 feet of water, so who knows. It's a mystery to me. The second dive was the Wallace which is a popular site here about 95 feet with good vis. We all had a good dive but no big fish. The third dive was the 10 mile barge which again is in about 80 feet and the vis again was beautiful. The fourth and last dive was in 35 feet of water on the 3 mile barge. Good Spanish but my buddy was topside and I didn't feel that shooting by myself was a great idea.
On Monday, we started out at the Buffalo Barge in 65 feet of pea soup! The vis was terrible. I don't get scared but I was not feeling really good about the muck. UNTIL..... I saw a large fish in the muck. I waited then screamed underwater to my buddy to get his attention, when I saw the biggest red snapper of my life. Remembering that everything is huge underwater, I took the shot. The fish took off with me holding on for dear life straight into the wreck. My buddy took off after him and me. I have a bad rep for shooting baby, barely legal fish. So we were very excited that I finally got one HUGE (for me) fish. The fish kicked my butt badly as I tried to get it out of the wreck AND THEN, my line went slack. I was saying words that my mother has no idea I even know the meaning of, 65 feet under the surface. My buddy is thinking... oh no, she is going to some how make this my fault (he is after all a male). We look, we search, we pray... no fish... it is gone! We surface and I am in tears. I lay on the back of the boat swearing that I will never spearfish again, acting like a total drama queen. My buddy, makes the smart decision not to say a word. The other couple who was with us hasn't come out of the water for all this drama. I go to the bow and sit alone, feeling sorry for myself.
As I watch their bubbles, I notice something floating just above them on the anchor line. A fish... a RED SNAPPER!!! Oh my goodness.. MY RED SNAPPER!!! They surface with my fish and the celebration begins anew. I am now fully recovered from my "I'll never spearfish again mood." It weighted in at 23 lbs, 31 inches long and 11 inches wide. Yes I have pictures and have tried to get them on this message several times today. Even the one picture is too big, so somebody help me figure out how to post just one little picture so I can brag!
I must also say that the greatest thing also happened Sunday night when a local dive shop owner, Gary from Gulf Diver opened his shop and fill tanks for us until almost 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... Labor Day weekend. If anybody has any questions about buying on-line or supporting your LDS... Guys, Gary at Gulf Diver in Orange Beach Alabama is the reason that you should develop those kinds of relationship. Without Gary at Gulf Diver, I never would have seen or shoot the fish of a lifetime for me. Love you Gary!!!!
On Monday, we started out at the Buffalo Barge in 65 feet of pea soup! The vis was terrible. I don't get scared but I was not feeling really good about the muck. UNTIL..... I saw a large fish in the muck. I waited then screamed underwater to my buddy to get his attention, when I saw the biggest red snapper of my life. Remembering that everything is huge underwater, I took the shot. The fish took off with me holding on for dear life straight into the wreck. My buddy took off after him and me. I have a bad rep for shooting baby, barely legal fish. So we were very excited that I finally got one HUGE (for me) fish. The fish kicked my butt badly as I tried to get it out of the wreck AND THEN, my line went slack. I was saying words that my mother has no idea I even know the meaning of, 65 feet under the surface. My buddy is thinking... oh no, she is going to some how make this my fault (he is after all a male). We look, we search, we pray... no fish... it is gone! We surface and I am in tears. I lay on the back of the boat swearing that I will never spearfish again, acting like a total drama queen. My buddy, makes the smart decision not to say a word. The other couple who was with us hasn't come out of the water for all this drama. I go to the bow and sit alone, feeling sorry for myself.
As I watch their bubbles, I notice something floating just above them on the anchor line. A fish... a RED SNAPPER!!! Oh my goodness.. MY RED SNAPPER!!! They surface with my fish and the celebration begins anew. I am now fully recovered from my "I'll never spearfish again mood." It weighted in at 23 lbs, 31 inches long and 11 inches wide. Yes I have pictures and have tried to get them on this message several times today. Even the one picture is too big, so somebody help me figure out how to post just one little picture so I can brag!
I must also say that the greatest thing also happened Sunday night when a local dive shop owner, Gary from Gulf Diver opened his shop and fill tanks for us until almost 7:00 p.m. on Sunday... Labor Day weekend. If anybody has any questions about buying on-line or supporting your LDS... Guys, Gary at Gulf Diver in Orange Beach Alabama is the reason that you should develop those kinds of relationship. Without Gary at Gulf Diver, I never would have seen or shoot the fish of a lifetime for me. Love you Gary!!!!
